I do not own Naruto or any affiliated characters in any way, shape, or form. Hope you enjoy!
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Second Arc: Early Days
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Itachi looked out from his spot in the trees, watching as Kushina and Naruto headed off towards the Namikaze estate. He heard the voices of Mikoto and Sasuke as they moved on the path below him, and he slipped into the shadows, hoping to avoid his mother's eyesight. He needn't have bothered though, for she was focused on Sasuke and Sakura. Itachi looked away from the ground, and spotted his ANBU captain from across the way. Kakashi nodded once, and leapt away into the trees.
Itachi landed first, a ring of trees surrounding a bit of open grass. Birds and animals scattered at his landing, their sounds of fright rebounding in the wooded glade. On all sides, thick patches of tall briars cut off sight, and numerous trees blocked out most of the upper canopy. The boy pulled out several kunai, and threw them into the four corners of a square. Kakashi landed a moment later, and added his own to the set of four. In an instant, the clearing was deathly quiet, all sounds of the animals muffled.
"I take it you have a good reason for interrupting my afternoon with Naruto and Kushina" Itachi activated his Sharingan, letting them roam over Kakashi and his movements.
"I wanted to know if it was true that you had surpassed the entire clan." Kakashi merely shrugged and lifted his headband, a spinning Sharingan coming to life in his own eye. A moment later, it began to shift, changing to that similar to a pinwheel whose edges were bent back on themselves.
Itachi sighed, looking down as he deactivated his doujutsu. "So you did manage to activate it on your last training trip with Jiraiya. Unfortunately, you have missed much of the development in the Uchiha Clan politics." Kakashi lowered his forehead protector, and placed his hands in his pockets.
"I had heard from the rumor mill that Naruto and Sasuke were on good terms. Are the parents not as friendly as the kids?" Itachi smirked at that, shaking his head.
"Naruto and Sasuke are just as good of friends as Minato and Fugaku. No, the problem lies in how the rest of the clan feels about that relationship." Kakashi frowned, though the gesture was lost in part to his mask. "When the details of Madara's attack were disclosed to the clan council, they refused to accept the descriptions as valid. They thought the description of the attack felt like a setup. However, when Fugaku sided with the story of the Fourth Hokage, there was a split in the leadership. Some wanted to remain loyal to the ideas of the clan founder, while others thought it best to stay the course of supporting Konoha." Kakashi sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"This is the worst time for me to develop that technique. The Mangekyou is already considered a cursed bloodline ability, so the council will never accept me as a replacement Hokage. Though he may select you for the replacement…" Itachi merely smirked at that, once more shaking his head left and right.
"He has given me orders to inspect rumors about a rebellion of the Uchiha building inside of Konoha. So far, I have discovered serious implications of several clan members, and as time progresses, I am realizing just how precariously we are balanced on the knife's edge. It's looking like we have until the end of summer before a civil war breaks out in my clan." Kakashi's eyes went wide, and he suddenly gripped a single kunai that he chucked towards the nearest tree. It imbedded itself up to the hilt of the blade. A seal flashed on it, and an entirely new sensation gripped the air.
"This is not good. All of the diplomatic meetings are taking place this summer, so if there is any form of threat it must be eliminated. He's only got you investigating this case?" Itachi nodded once, "Damn. That means he probably wants to keep you as backup for a special ops mission." Kakashi reached into his pocket, and drew out a single, small scroll. Tossing it to Itachi, Kakashi began to form seals rapidly. In an instant, several dogs stood before him. "You all need to spread out in a circle pattern near this clearing. Warn me if anyone approaches." The dogs nodded and dispersed in an instant.
"This is the information Jiraiya had on the Mangekyou Sharingan?" Itachi's voice did not waver, but his eyes scanned the page quickly. His face was drawn in slightly, making the angles of his face into a frightening visage. "No wonder the council thinks this is a cursed doujutsu. The requirements to make it permanent are barbaric." Itachi crumpled the scroll and tossed it into the air. His hands flashed through hand seals, and an inferno engulfed the item. "There must be no record of such a technique. I will find the clan information and obliterate it." Ashes fell around Itachi, and the boy turned towards his ANBU captain with rage set into his eyes.
"There must remain information on any kekkei genkai within the village. Those are the rules Itachi. Besides, the Hokage has already given you a mission to investigate your clan. Now that I have given what report I can on my training, I would like to hear what you have uncovered in more detail." Itachi grimaced, before snorting and turning his head to the side.
"All I know is that the rebellion is scheduled to happen around the meeting of three nations. That's all I know at the moment. There is also a powerful Uchiha leading the rebellion, who I am supposed to meet in a week's time. Other than that, I only know insignificant members at the moment. My father and mother are both already beginning to suspect me and the police are watching me closely as it is." Kakashi shook his head sadly, and turned towards the recently placed sealing kunai. Removing it, Itachi watched as the ashes he had just created seemed to spin into a single black ball, before disappearing entirely from existence.
"That's all you should tell me for now. From now on, report directly to the Hokage; he will be better able to guide you in this task." Itachi balled his fists into his hands and turned toward a different corner of the square. The two walked around the square, removing one focal point in time with each other.
"I won't see you at the festival, will I?" Itachi kept his eyes on the final link, his eyes already scanning the woods for his best escape route.
"Sorry, I have to attend to some other matters for the Hokage. Root is acting up as well, and the Hokage is asking ANBU to purge many of their ranks, probably in preparation for this coming storm." Itachi nodded, and pulled out his final kunai.
"Then, when it comes time, watch over Sasuke for me, will you?" Kakashi turned to look at his subordinate, but met with only disappearing leaves.
"I will, Itachi. I will watch over him and guide him to the proper path." With that, Kakashi leapt into the trees, putting distance between himself and the clearing as fast as possible.
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Naruto looked himself over in the mirror, trying to decide if his mom was insane or a genius. The formal kimono he wore was orange, and had the symbol of his mom's village all over the place. Naruto normally liked the swirl symbol, but there were just so many of them. 'At least it's orange color. That much about the outfit is cool.' Naruto shook his head and tied a black silk obi around his waist. This kimono was apparently an old family heirloom, and was given to the male Uzumaki clan head. His mom had decided it would be only right if he wore the outfit.
Grabbing a long slender sword from the bed, Naruto turned and left his room. The sword was a gift for Sasuke, with a white handle and red blade representing the Uchiha clan's symbol. 'With this sword he's gonna look even cooler than I do. I'll have to make sure to ask for one from dad for sure!' Naruto ran down the spiral staircase, vaulting over a potted plant when he reached a bend near the bottom.
His mom was relaxing by the table, her own kimono a black pattern with red swirls brocaded over the silk garment. "Someone's excited. It's probably going to be just the same sort of party as last year, you know?" Kushina couldn't help but smile at the image her son made. 'He's going to grow up to be just as handsome as his father.' She started when she heard the door open behind her.
"Sorry I'm late you two! The office had quite a lot of paperwork today, so I ended up just leaving a clone there to take care of the office." Minato Namikaze walked through the door, not missing the weak smile headed his way from his son. 'I really need to spend more time around the house, or Naruto's never going to get a chance to know me outside the office. Maybe I'll take Shikaku's advice and get a secretary…' Minato walked over and knelt in front of his son. "Your hair's crazier than mine ever was. I'm sorry I haven't been home a lot lately, son." Minato reached out and ran his hands through his son's hair.
Naruto's smile grew a bit, and he stepped forward quickly to catch his dad in a hug. "It's alright. I get that you're busy all the time. I just miss you a lot when you're always working." Minato leaned into the hug, holding on tight to his son. 'I'll make sure the future is brighter and better for you, Naruto.' Kushina smiled at the scene, before standing and placing a hand on Minato's shoulder.
"Naruto, your dad needs to go get changed. Why don't you and I go and get all the food ready for the party while we wait for him, huh?" Naruto stepped back from this, and rubbed his hand across his nose. He had a few tears glistening at the corner of his eyes.
"Come on, we better get started. I made a lot of food for the party." Kushina led her son towards the kitchen, nodding at Minato. He smiled wanly back at her before disappearing in a flash of yellow. Kushina reached into her pocket and pulled out a simple piece of cloth. "Here Naruto, take this handkerchief. You shouldn't wipe your nose on such a nice kimono." She could have sworn she heard a mumbled thanks as her son took the proffered item.
A few moments later, there was a hissing sound and Minato appeared, dressed in a fine white kimono with red swirls creating the signature family pattern. "You two got everything ready then?" The two nodded back at him, their arms filled with all sorts of packages. A smirk came over his face as he held out his hand. In it was an oddly shaped, three pronged Kunai. "Hold on then, because tonight we travel my favorite way." The two reached out and placed their hands over the kunai. In a flash, all three of them disappeared from the family home.
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In the blink of an eye, the Namikaze family appeared in a small clearing. Minato had decided during the village reconstruction to leave seals placed all over the village that would allow him to appear wherever he needed to in a moment's notice. Some had been against the seeming invasion of privacy, so Minato had asked that specialized areas be kept marked off for the appearance of the Hokage. The village council eventually agreed to this, especially after Minato agreed to teach the technique to each successive Hokage as a mark of office.
Stepping out of the simple clearing, the family turned towards the Uchiha clan gates. Minato turned and took several of the packages from his wife and son. "Come on, we don't want to be late for the clan festival, do we?" Naruto's smirk grew and he raced ahead of his parents.
"Waiting on you now dad! You sure you're really fast enough to be the Hokage?" Minato smirked at his son, turning to spare a quick glance at his wife. She simply nodded, and in a moment, the Fourth Hokage was racing his son through the clan compound streets. The streets were just starting to get filled with individuals preparing stalls. Though it was a two weeks early for Sasuke's birthday, Tanabata was a great time to hold a birthday celebration.
Still, it made catching up to his rambunctious son rather interesting, especially as Naruto seemed to delight in off the wall moves. Unfortunately, those moves often caused precariously stacked boxes and ornate decorations to almost be destroyed. The only thing saving them were the antics of the Fourth Hokage, running as desperately as he could to help forestall each near disaster. 'I guess I know to train him in chaos creation. Still, I'd feel bad for the enemy I unleashed him on in that case.' Minato dodged a falling set of crates before throwing his only kunai backwards. In an instant, he was under the crates, replacing each one as it fell to the ground. Minato was growing tired of playing around, and his son seemed to be smiling like this was all some sort of game.
"I still say you aren't fast enough if you can't even catch me!" Naruto had a wide smile spread over his face, looking far too much like a grinning fox. "I mean seriously! How can…" Naruto was cut off by his dad's kunai flying close enough to knick his cheek and draw a little blood. "Holy crap dad! That could have hit me, you know?" Naruto calmed down quickly though when he saw his dad smirk at him. "Uh oh…"
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Marked with a Hiraishin symbol on his arm, Naruto sulked walking next to his dad. Every time Naruto tried to slip away Minato would appear suddenly right beside him. "Still think I'm not fast enough?" Naruto grumbled under his breath about cheating seal users. Minato just smiled and ruffled his hair at this, the two proceeding up the walkway to the main compound. Before long, they stood on the steps to the main household.
"So, you two finally decided to show up, huh? Pretty slow for the infamous Yellow Flash…" Kushina smiled down at her loved ones, and couldn't help but chuckle as both began to rub the backs of their heads while closing their eyes. The two caught themselves, blinked once, and then laughed lightly. "Like father like son, I guess. Come on Naruto, Sasuke and the others are waiting for you!" Kushina held open the door for her son, gesturing him onward. That was all it took for Naruto to bolt off, leaving his dad to catch his dropped packages.
Minato chuckled lightly under his breath. "That kid has all of your energy and all of my clumsiness. I really worry about how he'll end up in a few years." Kushina smiled at her husband, stooping to pick up some of his share of the packages.
"Yeah, but he has all of my heartfelt nature, and is just as surprisingly astute as you are. He'll do just fine. Plus, he got your good looks to boot." She grinned at Minato as she slipped her arm into his. 'Even now, he blushes like crazy when I call him good looking. I love my man.'
The wedded couple made their way up the steps to see Naruto and Sasuke already running off to the festival. "Do you think we should go and look after him?"
Minato shook his head, smiling down at Kushina. "We're surrounded by Konoha's finest police force. I couldn't think of a safer place for him to be right now." Kushina sighed, relaxing into her husband's side.
"Glad to see Konoha's most beautiful couple could make it to the festivities." Mikoto smiled pleasantly as she approached the two. "Still, you should take an effort to be seen more in public with your wife, Minato-kun. If you don't, the rumor mill will start talking about Kushina and Kakashi-kun." Minato laughed at this, and Kushina looked outraged at her friend, who merely smiled back.
"Seriously, we were only heading to the park together with Naruto! Plus, he ran off on me when I got there, leaving me to fend for myself with Mikoto-san." Kushina was blushing red in the face, and waving her arms around to deny the charges.
"While I did teach Kakashi, there are certain things that are not passed from teacher to student. One is how to keep my wife happy." Minato smiled down at the blushing look on Kushina's face.
"Oh, and just how do you do that?" Mikoto smiled, her eyes dancing with mischief. The chance to embarrass Kushina was just too good to pass up.
"The easiest way I can tell you is this: Compliment her hair. I won't tell you exactly how you're supposed to compliment it, but there is a certain way." Kushina gasped lightly, hugging her husband closer to her while still blushing like mad.
"Hmm, sounds so simple, but I'm sure there's more than you let on." Turning, Mikoto waved the two down a hallway. "Come on, this is where all the adults are relaxing. We have Itachi watching over the group of kids." The Hokage and his wife gladly followed, proceeding down the hallway.
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Outside, the sounds of laughter could be heard, adding to the music of the festival opening. Naruto and Sasuke led the group they were in, both taking to leadership quite easily. The group quickly found themselves going all over the fair, spending money left and right that their parents had given them for games and food.
Several hours passed, and soon the group was down to only enough coin for one or two more games. Naruto and Sasuke were each competing at a simple squirt gun game, their guns firing and knocking down ducks that walked back and forth. Sakura was firing at her own stand next to the boys, and quite a crowd had gathered around the trio. A ticking sound was speeding up, the timer winding down the match.
"Go Naruto! You can beat them!" Hinata was surprised at her outcry. Normally she was very shy, but whenever she was around the Hokage's son she found her nerves grew stronger.
"As if! Sasuke-kun's got this in the bag for sure!" Ino jostled the other young girl, her blonde hair swept back into a small ponytail for the evening. 'Hinata sure does get braver whenever she's around Naruto.' Ino smirked as she kept cheering for the raven haired boy. 'I bet she's even got a little crush on the blockhead. I'll have to keep an eye on her, especially if she thinks she can steal my second choice.'
"Alright, that's it! Time's up, guns down!" The load voice of the stand keeper brooked no argument, and the scores were quickly calculated. "The rankings are as follows! Sasuke Uchiha with 140 points, Naruto Namikaze with 150 points…" Naruto grinned at Sasuke, who shot him a petulant look. "…and Sakura Haruno with 310 points. The winner is Sakura Haruno!" Both boys turned with dropped jaws of surprise. Naruto shook himself, and quickly glanced up at the scoreboard, daring it to agree. When he did, the boys face faulted before his hand went to scratch the back of his head.
"Good job, Sakura-chan. You really beat both of us!" Sakura blushed a bit before striking a victory pose.
"Heh, guess I just got lucky." Inwardly though, Sakura was saying much different things. 'CHA! WE TOTALLY SHOWED THEM! NOW I CAN CHOOSE WHICH ONE I WANT AND THERE'S NOTHING INO CAN DO!'
"Man, I would hate to get my butt kicked like that." A boy with red marks on his cheeks chuckled at Naruto's and Sasuke's expense. One boy stopped stuffing his face with some popcorn and turned to look at the kid in the blue colored kimono.
"Oh yeah, Kiba? I'd like to see how you'd do against Hinata and Ino! Unless you're too chicken…" Choji's barb struck the Inuzuka rather hard, and the youth grumbled before stepping forward. He fished what little cash he had out of his pocket and slammed it down on the stand's tabletop.
"That's it; I'm paying for three matches, myself, Ino and Hinata. I'm not afraid of some girls Akimichi, and I'll prove it to you!" The two girls giggled a bit at this, but quickly got themselves under control. Grinning, they stepped up to the booth.
The heavyset boy turned towards a boy with his hair tied back in a samurai topknot. "Neh, Shikamaru, you think we should tell Hana about that?" The samurai looking kid sighed, his green and brown kimono slouching just as much as he did.
"It'd be way too troublesome to do that. Besides, it could be more fun to use it as blackmail for a later day." The thinner boy smiled at his friend, who laughed and offered him a bit of popcorn. Shikamaru smiled and took a decent handful of the munchies.
The rest of the kids were cheering on Kiba and the others, though the outcome was rather obvious. Hinata had activated her bloodline, letting her long bangs hide her eyes. With that in place though, she got to see when each duck was about to pop back up, allowing her to rack up the points incredibly fast. As the ticking clock began to toll, it was quite obvious that Hinata had the game in the bag.
"Alright, that's it! Time's up and guns down!" The stand keeper barked out once more, though this time he reached under the table top. What he pulled out was a stuffed rabbit. "This goes to the young lady, who won a free prize with over 500 points!" The stand keeper turned and cast a smirking glance at the Inuzuka. "Thanks for the business kid, but be glad you weren't betting. Even that black haired kid did better than you!" Kiba grumbled under his breath, and the others laughed at his expense this time.
An older looking boy with straight hair similar to Sasuke's approached the group. He was wearing a headband, and had the same black eyes as the other raven haired boy. Naruto was the first to notice the older kid. "Hey, Itachi! You come to play some games with us? I think we have enough for one last game…" Naruto held up a heavily deflated toad wallet, his eyes scanning over the little remaining cash.
"No, I'm here to take you all back to the house. My little brother has to open all of his presents before we have the family dinner." Sasuke turned and pouted at this. 'He's probably having such a good time that he doesn't want to head back yet. Oh well, I'll make it up to him by training with him some tomorrow.' Itachi waved his hand and Sasuke frowned before walking up to his brother. Just as Sasuke got close, Itachi reached out and poked him in the forehead. "Sorry little brother, but I'll make it up to you tomorrow. I'll show you that kunai jutsu you've been asking about." Sasuke grimaced at the familial touch, but then brightened at the prospect of training with his older brother.
"Come on, I'm here to make sure you all make it back alright." The others turned and started to follow the older boy, quickly falling into step. Ino found herself between Choji and Shikamaru, her arms around each of the boys' arms as she pulled the two away from a food stand. Sakura was likewise distracted with both Sasuke and Kiba, who seemed to have decided their last bit of cash should buy some training shuriken.
'Boys and food and weapons! These festivals are a great way to lose track of these idiots…' Ino paused in her musings as she caught Hinata locked arm in arm with Naruto. The Hyuuga was blushing like an idiot, but Naruto seemed not to notice and was busily praising her for winning the rabbit. The girl clutched her bunny closer, and smiled up at the boy. 'Ohoho! I so have some good things to grill her about tonight!' Ino smiled wickedly as the group headed towards the household.
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It wasn't long until the group had descended upon the present table, and Sasuke had gone about unwrapping his gifts. Kiba had gotten him some trench knives that looked like dog fangs. Hinata had presented the Uchiha heir with a simple incense holder and some sandalwood sticks. Shikamaru, Choji and Ino had given their gift together; a puzzle game that needed three partners to complete. Sakura had gotten Sasuke a blue shirt with the Uchiha fan on the back. This caught a number of the kids by surprise so that Sakura had to stammer out an explanation.
"My dad's a silk merchant, and he was able to make this custom for Sasuke. It's protected against fire, and is really durable too." Sakura blushed under the attention of the others, but Sasuke looked really taken aback.
"Thank you for this. It should help distinguish me a lot when we all start training at the academy this fall." Sakura's blush deepened as she was complimented by the boy. Shaking her head, she brushed the compliment aside and pointed to the last present that he had yet to unwrap.
"Oh yeah, Sasuke, you won't believe what I got for you!" Naruto was practically bouncing out of his seat at the moment, excited for his friend to finally open his gift. Sasuke smiled at his best friend, and turned to unwrap the package. When it was finally free, the white and red combination of the sword caused even the adults to raise their eyebrows. Several questioning glances were tossed the way of Minato, who merely smirked and shook his head.
Sasuke carefully drew the sword out, and was shocked at the battle ready edge that greeted his eyes. "Thank you Naruto." His voice was pitched low, his eyes roaming over the deadly implement. Sasuke closed his eyes, smiling as he returned the blade to its scabbard. "Thank you, Naruto, and everyone else. You guys are awesome." Sasuke looked at them all happily, and the others smiled back in kind.
"We've got one last gift for you, son. These are from your mom and I; they are elemental chakra cards. They'll let you know if you have an affinity with a certain element. We're giving you three so you can share with two others, hopefully ones who'll be your teammates some day." Sasuke smiled up at his dad, taken aback by the gesture. Minato seemed to be frowning, but Kushina nudged him. Normally, the Hokage had final say on who was on teams. He'd let this slide though, at least for now.
"Thanks dad. Do you mind if I pick the other two now?" Fugaku blinked at this, but turned a slightly hard look at his son.
"You know that you don't pick who your teammates are when you graduate from the academy Sasuke?" Sasuke nodded his head, but looked up smiling at his dad.
"I know that would help my team, but I'd rather share these with my two best friends." Fugaku smiled at this, but shook his head.
"Why don't you wait till later to use those then. You wouldn't want to make any of your other friends jealous, would you?"Sasuke looked taken aback by this, but nodded at his father.
From a corner of the room came the sound of yawning. Shikamaru had apparently fallen asleep after his gift had been opened, and was just now waking. Shikaku shook his head at his son's antics, and grimaced when his wife Yoshino elbowed him for his bad influence.
"Well, I think we should take Shikamaru's advice, and send the kids to bed, don't you Kushina?" Mikoto turned to her friend, who stifled a small laugh and nodded her ascension. There was some grumbling among the kids, and the whispers of 'Nice going Shikamaru'. Before long, the kids were settled into their rooms, and the adults turned to conversing and talking amongst themselves.
It wasn't long before most of the boys had settled down to sleep, though two of them remained awake. Naruto turned to Sasuke, a questioning look on his face. "You were going to offer those chakra slips to me and Sakura, weren't you?" Naruto couldn't be sure, but he could have sworn that Sasuke was smiling in the dark.
"Yeah. Ever since that incident at the river, you and Sakura have gotten along really well together. Plus, I can't think of two people I have more fun hanging out with. I wanted to share those with you two so you could get stronger." Naruto looked puzzled at this, so Sasuke sighed before he continued.
"My brother and I have a very strange relationship. He's always getting stronger, and my dad keeps comparing the two of us all the time. I want to get strong enough that my father will recognize me as well, so I'm going to work hard to surpass my brother. If I'm going to do that, I figured that I should have some other powerful friends." Sasuke smirked as he turned to Naruto. "Between being the Hokage's son, and the hero of our village, I figure you'll be a very powerful friend to test myself against." Naruto smiled at this, nodding his head.
After a moment though, a mischievous grin replaced the benign smile. "Hey, Sasuke, if you want to be a better ninja than your brother we should practice right now!" The whisper was a little loud, and the older boy shushed his friend.
"What are you talking about? It's late, and I'm pretty spent from the fair. Not all of us have that insane energy of yours, you know?" Naruto just smiled wider, and moved closer to whisper more carefully.
"The adults are definitely meeting right now to discuss something important. We should see if we can sneak close and find out what they're talking about…" Sasuke was surprised by this, but nodded in agreement. "We should wake up Hinata too, she'll know how to sneak up on those Hyuuga eye's her dad uses." Sasuke rolled his eyes, seeing through Naruto's desire to have the other girl close-by. The two had hit it off quite well that evening, playing and joking more together than they did with anyone else.
"All right, we'll pick up your little girlfriend. But I still think Sakura would make a better potential teammate than Hinata." Naruto began to frown and looked like he was about to start shouting. Sasuke quickly shushed him and glanced quickly around the room. "Come on, let's just go get her, alright?" Sasuke rolled his eyes once more as the two slipped quietly from the room.
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Hyuuga Hinata though did not manage to escape with just an eye-roll from Sakura and Ino. "We totally saw you two linking arms and walking back together!" Ino's hiss was just loud enough to not carry past the room where the three girls were supposedly sleeping. Truth be told, they had been up for the last hour talking in whispers about the fair and the boys. Ino had just finally gotten to springing her trap on the white-eyed heiress though, and she was not planning on quitting tell she hit pay dirt.
"I don't know what you're talking about Ino-san. Besides, you were arm in arm with Shikamaru and Choji," Hinata was blushing furiously, despite her well-worded retort. Sakura chuckled, seeing Ino's game immediately.
"I have to admit, I wouldn't mind linking arms with Naruto. Still, I did get to hold Sasuke's arm for a little while…" Sakura grinned at Ino, whose face was scowling at the pinkette. Sakura stuck her tongue out at her friend, who merely huffed before turning back to Hinata.
"See Hinata, Sakura's interested in Naruto too. You better be careful or the little floozy will steal both Sasuke and Naruto all for herself." Hinata giggled at Ino, and then broke into light laughter at the outraged look on Sakura's face. Sakura proceeded to pick up a pillow and lightning seemed to spark between the eyes of the pinkette and blonde. Hinata stifled her laughter in time to reach out and put a hand on Sakura's arm. The girl turned at the touch, settling down for a second.
"Alright, I'll admit it. I like Naruto a little bit." Ino and Sakura's head whipped around in surprise at the girls sudden declaration. Hinata was stymied a bit by the sudden looks, her fingers coming around to push together in front of her waist. "I mean, he's just so kind, and energetic all the time. Plus, he's…he's not stuck up like a lot of the other Hyuuga. Still, I don't know if I have a chance with him, he is the Hokage's son and all…" Ino rolled her eyes at the girl, smiling a little bit.
"Hinata, you've got more of a chance than you think. The kid obviously likes you, plus you're the heir of the Hyuuga clan too." Hinata looked up surprised at her friend. "I bet he's probably thinking about you even now, the knucklehead." Hinata ducked her head at this, and her blush was back even stronger. At this point though, there came a slight knocking on the door. Too quiet to be one of the adults, the girls knew it was probably one of the boys. Ino shushed the other two, and approached the door. Opening the door slightly, Ino carefully brought her face around to the crack in the sliding doorway.
At first there was nothing, and then a head and set of eyes appeared. "Ino, quick let me in. I can't hold this invisibility jutsu much longer!" Ino gasped and stepped aside, pulling the door much farther open. Naruto and Sasuke stumbled in, both grinning sheepishly. The girls were changed into basic nightclothes, and were underneath the covers for the most part.
Naruto spoke up quickly before Ino could get her breath back. "We want to sneak in and see what the adults are talking about. Hinata, will you come with us? You have to know how to get around your dad's byakugan, right?" All three girls were surprised by this, but Hinata merely nodded. Her blush was back in full force, and Ino shot her a knowing look.
"His view covers nearly 360 degrees, but it's harder for him to see underground. If we could sneak under the house we could hear what they were saying without being found out if we're really quiet." Hinata's eyes did not leave the floor, and her fingers were back in front of her face, poking them together slowly.
"Alright, it'll be just like when we play ninja! But, how are we supposed to move underground? I'm not the best at digging tunnels, you know?" Naruto frowned into his thinking face, while an image of himself as a mole ran through his head.
"I know how we can get there, come on. Itachi and I use this when we are eating in the dining room and hear mom coming to get us to do chores." Sasuke had a school boy's grin as he headed towards the back of the room. He lifted aside one of the wood floor panels before stepping down onto the ground. "We'll have to crawl the whole way there, so unless you want to get dirty you should probably stay put." Ino and Sakura exchanged worried looks, but everyone was surprised when Hinata stepped down onto the dirt as well.
"I'll tell you two girls everything we find out, okay? That way only one of us has to get in trouble tonight." Sakura smiled warmly at Hinata, and Ino nodded her thanks. Naruto smirked to the two girls before joining the other two. In short order, they were quickly beneath the room all the adults were gathered in. At first there was nothing interesting, mostly guests leaving and saying they'd be back in the morning. Soon, it was only Naruto's and Sasuke's parents left in the room. They heard Fugaku Uchiha speak first.
"Thank you for the fine sword for my son. I'll make sure to start training him with it as soon as possible." Minato did not seem to say anything, so the three assumed that he had just nodded. Sasuke however, was smiling widely. 'My dad's going to train me in something, and Itachi said he'd show me that kunai jutsu. This is great!'
"However, I am a little concerned about this permission request of yours. Is there a reason why you want Itachi to train under you for the next little while? I had heard he was going to make ANBU captain before long…" Naruto turned and gave Sasuke a confused look. Apparently Naruto was not aware of this training either.
"Yes, he was slated to make ANBU captain before long, but I have grander plans than that for him. As you know, I already picked someone to possibly be my next successor in Kakashi Hatake." There was a sudden silence by this, and Naruto and Hinata turned and looked at Sasuke for a reason.
Barely willing to dare a whisper, Sasuke said, "My clan doesn't really like Hatake-san. He wasn't born with a Sharingan, but he uses it better than a lot of the others do." The brief explanation was all they had time for, as they could hear the sound of a tea cup being set down. As Naruto looked back up, he could swear he saw his dad looking through the floorboard that they hid under. The gaze lifted though as Minato turned back to Fugaku.
"I know you don't approve of Hatake-san, but there is a reason I chose him. This village has stood too long without recognizing the contributions of the Uchiha clan. That is why I'm going to train Itachi, so that after Kakashi has been Hokage for a number of years, the village will be ready to see a Sharingan user lead the way. I'm planning on making the announcement soon. I hope your clan will approve of such a broad goal." Another slight pause followed, this one much more comfortable to the ears.
"Yes, I see now. I understand why that would be desirous, though there will always be a few who would ask why perhaps Shisui or other powerful Uchiha are not considered at the moment. Also, if your plan is to have the Uchiha eventually recognized within Konoha, why have you moved to limit the number of Uchiha on the police force?" Fugaku's voice was now more curious than anything else.
"I merely wanted a way to get more of the Uchiha seen in the village in a less intimidating role. It would help the clan to train with the Inuzuka and the Hyuuga as well, both of which will have a lot to offer in the way of police work." Naruto smiled at this, thinking how cool it was that his dad got to help people for his job.
"I understand now. Alright, I am more than happy to accept the idea of Itachi as the possibility for the Rokudaime Hokage. Why don't we turn to the other matter you presented me with…" The three could hear the sounds of papers being shuffled around, and before long it seemed a table had been set up above their heads. Lamps were lit and soon the three could see up clearly through the cracks in the floor boards. Once more, Naruto felt his father's eyes pass over where the three lay, and this time, he could swear he saw sadness in his eyes.
"This is an escort mission I understand. We are to ferry Temari Sabaku to the village in order for her to meet her prospective husband, correct? Besides her being the daughter of the Kazekage, is there anything else important we should know?" Fugaku's voice had taken on a far more business-like tone, the voice clipped and authoritative.
"Yes. Her youngest brother is the container for the Ichibi, Shukaku. Her older brother is also the village's future puppet master if my sources are correct." Naruto could not stop himself from drawing in a deep breath at this. The others looked at him, expecting him to speak, but Naruto shook his head and remained silent. Inside though, he was very conflicted. 'They're bringing another demon container to Konoha? I…I might get to meet someone like me…' Naruto's eyes were clouded with emotion, but the voices above continued regardless.
"It's also very important that she come to my office first. I must explain some things to the girl regarding the eventual marriage." From Sasuke's viewpoint, he could see his father nod, and make some brush marks on a piece of paper. "The most important thing your escort will be responsible for is guarding my son, who will be accompanying you. I can't tell you how dangerous it will be to have two demon containers meet each other in broad daylight outside a village. Especially when neither are fully trained shinobi or trained in controlling their respective powers." Fugaku nodded at this, his head turning to look the other in the eyes.
"So it's true that your son is the candidate for the marriage from Konoha." All three of the kids froze at this, just managing to keep in gasps of surprise.
"It is. My son will, upon his sixteenth birthday, be expected to marry for the sake of the village. The marriage meeting will take place this summer though, in order to assure that the treaty resigning with both Suna and Takigakure goes off without a hitch. The treaty meeting will take place in Takigakure, showing our support and allowing us to gather information on the growing village. I also am planning on having some other political meetings around that time…" The rest of the Hokage's speech was lost on the three. They just kept staring between themselves, unsure of what to think.
Hinata had a streak of tears dripping down her face, and Naruto and Sasuke silently took note. Naruto slowly started to make his way back to the girls' room. None of the three said anything when they arrived, the looks on their faces silencing Sakura and Ino. The morning found all three of them tired, none of them being able to sleep well after what they had heard.
xXxXxXx
The three kids had not been the only eavesdroppers on the meeting, though Itachi smiled from beneath the ground at his brother's antics. 'That Naruto is going to get you into so much trouble, isn't he, little brother?' Itachi smiled, and listened to the ongoing conversation. Itachi remained impassive throughout the exchange, and eventually moved through the ground to outside the family compound. Ending the tunneling jutsu, Itachi appeared in a simple training ground on the family grounds. He was already within a kunai sealing square of sound, sight and smell. When Minato appeared a moment later, the area became suffused with the energy of additional seals.
"So, did they show up?" Itachi nodded, and Minato smirked slightly. "I thought I noticed them. Well, I guess he was bound to find out sooner or later. Wish he had let me tell him in person, but it's a bit too late now. I'll have to talk about it to him soon. Did you manage to determine who the others were?" Minato sighed, and looked at Itachi like a man about to put down a good dog.
"I noted both Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuuga in attendance with your son. You will probably have to have their parents discuss the marriage with them as well." Itachi paused, looking carefully at the Hokage's face. It seemed far too sad for the type of news he expected to be receiving. "You named me as a future successor because you still hope that the idea an Uchiha might become Hokage will be enough to stall the coming battle." Minato nodded at Itachi, and pulled out a set of scrolls. He set the bundle down on the ground, keeping his eyes lowered.
"If that does not work though, there will be need to head off any bloodshed before the diplomatic mission with Suna concludes. I'm sorry, but there is going to be a lot riding on you at that point." Minato handed him the first of three scrolls, which expanded in size as he passed it to the young ninja.
"Why have you had me investigating the rebels, learning who is definitely against Konoha? What purpose would that serve to stem the bloodshed? It will only make me look like a betrayer to those that are loyal, and will make me into a target." Minato nodded sadly at this, and proffered the second scroll.
"Those that are loyal and trustworthy now of your mission. They will keep you safe from the loyal faction. When the time comes, you will betray the rebels. You will have to annihilate the entirety of the rebel faction. If you can uncover the rebel leader soon enough though, you might be able to kill him, and stall the attack long enough to prevent more bloodshed." Minato handed him the final scroll, and looked up from the ground. His eyes locked with Itachi's, and the sadness that had clouded them before were replaced with a hard look of determination.
"The first scroll is a list of Jiraiya's contacts within the village. You are to begin meeting with them, as your training with me will include learning all of the village's secrets should you actually become Hokage. If not, then they will provide contacts for you outside the village should you be forced to flee." Itachi tucked the first scroll into his coat and reached for the second.
"The second scroll details various sealing techniques that might prove useful when fighting against a Sharingan user. I hope you do not have to use them." Itachi's hand paused over pocketing the second scroll, trembling as it was secured in his coat.
"The final scroll details information on opposing villages and factions. Should you have to leave Konoha, it will help you find those who might be willing to take a renegade in. By stalling their plans, and getting information back to us, you will be able to keep your status as a shinobi of Konoha, regardless of the ramifications of any actions you take regarding your clan. I will hear any requests you might have at this point." Itachi looked up from the scroll, his eyes set hard, a mixture of hatred and sadness clouding them. The boy took several steadying breaths, his eyes flashing red in the darkness.
"I only ask for a few things, Hokage-sama. Allow my brother to serve on a team with those closest to him. Allow my brother and family to be away from the village on the night of the rebellion. And finally, should all of this lead to the Sharingan leaving the village, let it do so entirely. Let no one try to revive it through any means." Minato had nodded throughout the entire discussion, but grimaced at the last request. Sighing, the man looked Itachi in the eyes.
"It will be as you say. I only hope that we can protect the village as necessary." Itachi nodded once, and disappeared into the ground once more. Minato gathered the kunai, and faded silently into the night.
xXxXxXx
Before I start with the standard goodbyes, I felt that since some of the recent reviews have really encouraged me to develop this story, that I should thank those loyal fans out there that drop me a line.
Umbra8191: You have left the same positive review after every chapter, usually right after I post the thing. Thank you so much for this, it encourages me to have such a frequent reader to update as often as possible.
Obsidian85: Your review, though short and only one, sparked a great discussion between us, and helped me to rewrite one of the chapters to more accurately reflect the tension I imagined the scene having. I look forward to the great reviews you leave, and am anxious for more.
Rixxell Stryfe: You came out of nowhere and posted four great reviews very quickly. I am so glad to see someone who discovered and liked the story this much, it's really encouraging to find. That being said, I look forward to hearing from you, your reviews keep me thinking about why I did certain things and help me make the story more interesting.
This is by far the longest chapter yet. I hope you all get a chance to enjoy it. I decided that instead of updating every week, I'll update every three days or so, at least until break is over. Hope that everyone got what they wanted for the holidays, and I expect more awesome reviews in the coming chapters. Also, I'm looking for some beta editors, so if you get the chance, send me a message showing you would be willing to do the deed. Hope to catch you next time! Read and review!